Bridging a bridgless divide: Anglican lived experience in two parishes with a demographic majority of ultra-orthodox Judaism

Gifford, David 2025. Bridging a bridgless divide: Anglican lived experience in two parishes with a demographic majority of ultra-orthodox Judaism. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a study of two Church of England churches located in parishes where Christianity is a minority faith and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism forms the majority demographic. The intensive fieldwork took place September to December 2023 with extensive observation of church communities and neighbourhoods, people movement and any cross-community interaction It presents a description of congregation’s lived experience, their perception of the religious other and how this affected their understanding of their own faith and how it was communicated. The thesis’s originality is based in its ethnographic perspective with focused description of the urban and religious environment in which the congregants live and the role their own parish churches played in their understanding and interaction with their Ultra-Orthodox Jewish near-neighbours. The thesis argues that assumptions and perceptions of the past may still influence perception and the encounter between the two faiths. A further perspective is examined in reviewing past Church of England documentation that dealt with Jewish-Christian relations. This thesis argues that there has been a dissonance between the Church of England documents and the lived experience of parishioners, in areas with a majority Ultra-Orthodox presence - a branch of Judaism growing rapidly in the UK. It argues that the theological reflection and underpinning of the documents have a top-down trajectory, despite scholarship widely acknowledging that ‘good’ theology starts and progresses from the ground upwards. Based on the discourse of participants, individually and 3 focus groups the thesis offers a theological re-appraisal of Jewish Christian interface in parishes where Christianity has a minority presence; I call this a ‘theological re-setting,’ cognisant of Christian imperatives and self-understanding for a missional expression but also embracing the tenets of dialogic exchange – that of understanding and respect. The thesis explores how this may be delivered through the notion of silence: a silent presence, a silent dialogue and a silent mission. It proposes a theology of Jewish-Christian relations in the context of a majority Ultra-Orthodox Jewish demographic; a theology built from the experience of parish congregants, upwards. The thesis ends with a personal reflection of my journey and how it changed my own perspective on Jewish-Christian relations.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BM Judaism B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 January 2026
Date of Acceptance:	2 December 2025
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2026 15:08
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183809

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